Spoiled rich kid Riko Walker has spent the past year roaming the New England coast, working hard to maintain the rudderless image his father believes. Riko doesn’t need his father, or anybody else. Until a beating leaves him broken and alone in the middle of nowhere.
Braxton Harper’s inner voice screams “don’t get involved!” when he finds a bloodied and beaten young man in a heap on the roadside. He’s gotten good at ignoring that voice, loading the stranger into his truck and promising a place to rest and heal.
The Titanic-sized chip on Riko’s shoulder makes Braxton want to drop this ungrateful brat and be on his way. After all, no one handed Braxton anything in life. He’s worked hard for what little he has. If Riko doesn’t want help, why bother?
Fate has no patience for their stubbornness, throwing the two together time after time. How can sparks fly between two so different men? And can move they move past ugly beginnings to find their common ground?
Miski Harris was born and raised in New York City with her younger brother and sister. She became and worked as a critical care nurse, served in the military, raised five amazing sons and traveled to other countries, sometimes, all at the same time. When Miski sets her mind to achieve something there is no force on earth that can stop her.
Through all the organized chaos that has often defined her life her one constant has been her love of books. Reading has always been a mainstay in her life and she is rarely seen without her Nook on which she has reportedly downloaded over 2,000 books. A woman of boundless imagination, she has always desired to give life to the characters who maintained residence in her imagination. With that in mind, she has finally put pen in hand to fulfill a lifelong desire to write books of her own.
Ask anyone who knows Miski to use one word to describe her and they would say fierce. A prior military commander once defined her as a “tender warrior”. Friends, patients, and associates have always found a strong advocate in this woman who is not afraid to speak her mind.
Miski believes three things: challenge is just another word to define worlds to conquer and lines to cross; love and faith are the most powerful forces in the universe, and the only thing that hinders success is to fail to try. With that in mind, she invites you to join her in a world where love is second to nothing and life is the greatest adventure of all.
I ended up liking this story okay, but it was tough going there for awhile. Riko was definitely a brat through much of the story- we really didn't need Braxton calling him that over and over, to be reminded of that fact. But just because someone is being bratty doesn't mean a nurse should be administering drugs just to calm them down. I really had a hard time with that part, as well as how demanding and unprofessional she was with Braxton, when she called him about Riko.
Riko needed to do a lot of growing up, it was hard to believe he was 25. I guess being coddled and given everything you wanted in life would have that effect on a person. It was good to see him take control of his life and finally make good choices and decisions. His parents seemed to have started out with good intentions, the whole cutting the apron strings and letting him have one last summer before he needed to buckle down and get serious, but then things kind of went off the rails with his father, which didn't make much sense.
The romance between Riko and Braxton actually made sense- Riko needed someone like Braxton to take charge. Like all stories in the All American Boy Series, it was a definite case of instalust/love, but it worked.
Definitely take heed of the following warning- This story includes scenes involving homophobia and animal welfare that, while done in a caring and thoughtful manner, may be disturbing to some people. Reader discretion is advised.
I have to be honest, this one is not my favorite of this series of books/novellas, Although I liked the premise of this one, there was hardly time to develop the characters realistically with this type of story in such a short time..IMO, with that being said it was a still an ok read..my first from this author and I wouldn't let this novella deter me from reading another book from them again.
* I received an ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *
Boy Overboard by Miski Harris is part of a series with other authors. If you're a fan of MM books, this is one you should explore.
Miski does a fantastic setting up the storyline. Right off the bat, you know Rico is the very definition of the word spoiled. I personally appreciated the message from his parents, even though it seemed to fly by the main characters head.
Braxton is the complete of opposite of Rico, with a heart of gold. He is hard working and knows that Rico, while cute, spells trouble and too much work.
This small town romance will remind you why you love small towns. The generosity of the characters is refreshing for this city girl. This book is short, and definitely leaves you wanting more. This is the first novel I've read by this author, and I'm curious to see what else is in her catalog.
If you love MM and/or small town romance, and want to meet a new author, check out this book.
First time reading this author. I am impressed as the story is short but full of growing up.
Rico is a rich kid who has a University degree which he got without really working for it since he was brilliant academically. He joined a Motorcycle tour and decided he wanted to explore further so joined a group he met on the road. That turned into disaster and his bike was stolen and he was knocked unconscious, ending up in small town Maine. He was demanding, earning a reputation as rich brat to his rescuer and the hospital. Later, he almost drowned and his father illegally froze his trust fund and cut him off of any funds.
Rico's rescuer, a successful restauranter, took to Rico and discovered that on his own Rico had gotten a job and worked hard at the restaurant. Rico and Braxton became lovers; Rico was promoted without Braxton knowing and after his father tried to get Rico back to New York and into the family business, Rico got legal help to get his trust fund and police recovered his bike. By the way there is a puppy involved too. This all in 100 pages.
I am not at all like Rico and do not relate well to such characters but the author has made him likable in an endearing way.
The first half of this story is most frustrating read. I mean, the writing is spot on and the story line is great but you'll be driven crazy by Riko's arrogant, bratty, screaming attitude. Luckily that calms down somewhat so don't panic. This is a pleasant tale, that except for the dog, and an enjoyable read.
Riko is most definitely a brat with a capital B. But that’s exactly what drew me to him. I love the brats. Is he entitled? Yep. Mouthy? Oh, yes. But also adorable in his own way. Braxton certainly had the patience of a saint dealing with him, but it made their relationship better in the long run. Riko does so much growing up in this book in an astoundingly short amount of time. I was happy that Braxton was there by his side to see how Riko changed for the better. All of the steam happens off page, which was a bummer, but I understood that with such a short book.
Here are my two main issues:
I know it’s a small town and all, but drugging Riko just because he’s being bratty isn’t okay. He’s all set to be discharged from the hospital and then runs his mouth so you give him morphine? No. Just, no. As if that isn’t bad enough, the Sheriff tells this kid he needs to be spanked and walks out while trying to get details of his assault. This comes after also telling the VICTIM of a hate crime that he pretty much deserved the beating he got because of his smart mouth. Wow. I took major exception to these two events.
Besides that, on the last two pages of the book, Braxton suddenly becomes Brandon. That was a little jarring. Overall, this was just an okay read for me. I wish the pacing had been better and the story a little more authentic.
*I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest opinion.
The start of Boy Overboard was a bit rushed and Riko came off as very bratty and unlikable, even after he was assaulted by some bad guys he was traveling with (one would've thought he'd be at least a bit grateful someone rescued him). Fortunately, losing practically everything was a wake-up call for Riko, and then rescuing the little puppy, even if Braxton had to rescue Riko again in turn, made him a whole lot more likable to me. After that, Riko became a hard-working, efficient worker for Braxton and he did a turnaround with the rest of the people who had only wanted to help Riko out in the first place. I liked Braxton, but again, the leap from rescuing an ungrateful Riko twice to wanting to be with him was too quick for my liking. There was no progression. I will admit once they started their relationship they seemed to work well together both at Braxton's business and in bed, so there's that.
The book is short, but it was good seeing Riko mature and act like the 25-year-old he was and build a good relationship with Braxton. I wanted Riko's father to get more of a comeuppance after how he tried to manipulate Riko, but it all worked well in the end. Recommendable!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
What a fun and steamy story in Boy Overboard by Miski Harris. This book is part of a multi-author All American Boys series, a set of 9 books. This book also fit the theme of the All American "Boy" and makes sense in this set of stories. I am a fan of this author! I liked Riko, and he is one "spoiled" rich boy, someone that makes others get irritated (and that's saying it lightly) from his "poor me" attitude and thinking that everyone owes him something. Riko then finds himself broken, literally, but that still doesn't quite change his attitude. Insert Braxton, and the two are like oil and water, but share the stubbornness trait. I like that it is not the typical boy meets boy story, and Harris does a very good job of showing the readers who these two men truly are, deep inside, is not the same as what they show outside. This author brings the story to life. The characters had a lot of depth and were very realistic. It is always an honor to read this author's books. The story brings the reader (and the characters) on a grand journey. I will definitely add more of this author's books to my bookshelf. Boy Overboard is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
This was a cute, short summer read with some sad moments and self healing. When I first started reading Boy Overboard I thought it was going to be a really engaging story. Unfortunately I never really got into this as it was a really choppy storyline. All the things were there to make it really great but it just was not smooth. The characters were likeable enough but I felt I didn't really get to know our MC Braxton and I really wanted to know more. Riko was more transparent but unfortunately read as more of a teenager than a 25 year old man. I think they could have both been really great characters with more pages. And sadly all the sex scenes were fade to black which is really not my thing at all. I liked the setting a lot and I really enjoyed the supporting characters like Ben, he was sweet and intriguing. I thought the sensitive topics were handled well like the hate crime that landed Riko in the hospital. There were sweet moments like with Meechi the puppy that again were good enough but just didn't tip this book to enjoyable for me.
Good premise, likeable characters but not quite there
Braxton and Riko worked really well together. I know Riko was meant to be unlikeable at first but I honestly really liked him. He was complex and, yes, sometimes did things that were ungrateful or that did not put him in the best light but he honestly came across as someone who was a little lost. He was kind of relatable in the sense that he wasn’t perfect but he really was trying. So I enjoyed a lot of the book, but there were points I just didn’t like. Some of the things that happened (victim blaming, inappropriate comments to a victim etc) took the shine off. It would have been fine if they’d been addressed but it simply wasn’t which gave the impression that it was considered okay. I also found it rushed at times. Maybe another 50 or so pages would have really helped fill the story out. I honestly liked it but it just kind of didn’t quite get there because of other issues.
Couldn't get past how horrible Riko was (or how quickly he changed)
Riko acted like he was five, not twenty-five. He was rich, spoilt, entitled, arrogant and aimless. He was downright nasty to everyone in Stoney Brook when all they were trying to do was help him when he was attacked, hurt, alone and destitute. Braxton, I liked, but I never quite felt the connection between them. They went from dislike to boss and employee to boyfriends in the blink of an eye, living together and with a Daddy/Boy relationship that all took place behind closed doors so we didn't see the connection there either. Riko also went from busboy to a restaurant savant in the blink of an eye too, without any prior knowledge of the business because he had a degree in philosophy. And the stuff with his dad at the end was ridiculous and plain unnecessary. It was possibly a two and a half star read, just.
All you need is love. Riko, tries his best to live down to his Father's expectations. Braxton, sees a man on the side of the road in trouble and beaten and steps up to help him. Riko, appears unappreciative and unredeemable. Two absolutely different men, who appear to have nothing in common. Their relationship slowly develops, a bit lopsided and clumsy, but it develops. Riko, is absolutely juvenile, does anyone ask him why? Liking Riko, was hard. The author, did an excellent giving Riko and Braxton such definitive characters. There are several events that seem questionable, and unexplanable that unexpectedly fit with the circumstances. Will Riko, find out who beat him, was it a hate crime? Does he find his brain and grow up? How far does Braxton's patience go? Nice story. I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is only the second book I’ve read by Miski Harris and I thought it was good. It has a very slight Daddy/boy vibe with light spanking.
Riko is pretty bratty after Braxton rescues him from the side of the road. He’d been beaten and had his motorcycle stolen. Instead of being really grateful, he acts like a spoiled brat. As the book goes along, Riko begins to appreciate his circumstances and is grateful for what Braxton has done for me.
This is a relatively short novella so there’s not a lot of time for character development and plot but it was still a good story.
An advanced copy of this book was provided to me at my request but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.
Riko is a spoiled rich boy, in other words he’s a brat!! He is beaten ad left on the side of the road. Braxton finds Riko and takes him to the hospital. Riko wasn’t very thankful even after losing so much. His parents were no help to him deciding it was time to cut the apron strings. He ends up getting a job and becoming more responsible. This overall was a really good story! It was a short novella, but it packed quite a bit into it. The story was really well written, the pacing flowed smoothly, highly recommend. I am voluntarily leaving a review form an advanced copy that I received. My reviews are solely based on my thoughts and opinions.
I was hoping that this would be a series of cute summer romances to stir the soul and heart but what I found were a series of books that felt as though they were over edited and missing half the story so that they fitted into the mould of small town full of secret gay young adults who don't know about each other, insta-love, tall-ship festival, all working in food services,
Whilst the books weren't for me, you might like them and please don't take my review as one to put you off reading any of the series. Please read them to make up your own mind.
I received a copy of this book via Gay Romance Review and provide my honest review voluntarily
Not a perfect story but it was pretty good. Love how all the books are connected, like Ben from Not a Boy having a decent part in this book. Bratty Riko survives a hate crime and continues to brat around until the small town of Stoney Brook flips his world on its head, mainly due to hunky restaurant owner Braxton. I was super bummed that the sexy times happened off page. And, honestly, the whole situation with his dad completely confused me. Not a terrible book, but it was lacking in a way or two.
Riko had it all and before he settled down to adulthood, he went off on a motorcycle trip that changed his life. Beaten and left abandoned he was saved by Braxton who noticed something on the side of the road. This starts a journey of discovery that leads to love. This was a heart wrenching story that made me shed tears in one part but also gave me a warm fuzzy feeling in the end. A delightful read and well worth an afternoon snuggled in a comfy chair.
Riko is pretty bratty and needs to grow up. Braxton rescues him after he is robbed and beaten. The dynamics between these two is interesting. Braxton gives him the chance to change and grow. I enjoyed seeing the growth Riko has. For a short novella there is quite a bit packed into this story.
When I first started reading this I didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I did. That’s down to all the characters, not just Braxton and Riko. Brian is a trip plus has a good head on his shoulders. And of course I enjoyed Ben. He seems so familiar to me but I can’t think why. I am really enjoying these stories.
He goes from one place to another to maintain his ways his father thinks he is. One day he is beaten up and left for dead when they come along. They help him into their car and takes him home to help him get better. Has fate had a hand in it? Can these two make a life together? How will it all go? Follow them to find out
I had a hard time getting around how bratty and privileged Riko was, as if he's owed things. It's a nice short read and most of it was great, I just couldn't get over not liking Riko in the beginning. He eventually grows up and it seems all good, they get their HEA in the end.
Riko is a brat and he just seems to be cruising through life. Enter an incident that changes everything. Brax finds him then saves him and gives him the structure he needs to grow into the man he needs to be. Great novella.
This was another cute book in the All American Boy series. It's the first Miski Harris book I've read, and it was well written an entertaining. It was a good quick read.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily gave my honest review.
Such a well-written and sweet story! This is my first read from this author and it was a great story! From the human brat all the way to the four-legged one, every part of this book was great! Not much heat but the story itself made up for that!
Riko left home to get away from his dad and ended putting himself an awful situation where he ends up finding the love of his life! Braxton & Riko are the complete opposites but they work together so well! These books are kind of fast paced but still very enjoyable! 😀😀❤️❤️
MM, Small Town, Kink, Contemporary, Romance. Easy to read page-turner with great characters and action, drama and heat. Some tearjerker moments, a stand-alone read it is based in the same small town as the rest of the series. Guaranteed HEA.
A fast-moving, fun summer read. Riko takes control of his life, and Brandon finds his boy! An enjoyable"beach read"! Plus there are puppies and motorcycles!